Tumbler to clean small size cartridges

[thekees]

This week i bought myself a tumbler. Normally it's used to make those shining gems like quarts, amethist etc. So i thought to give it a shot on ammo.

for the test i used old .306 (WW2) and old 7.92x57 German cartridges. all in a worse, normally scrap condition.

step 1: as was.
step 2: after 2-3 hours cleaning with stainless steel shot and some soap.
step 3: after another 4 hours mixes with glass beat added to the steel shot.
Step 4: after 4 hours mixed with Brasso and steel shot, without step 3.

Step 5 some cartridges out of step 4, polished on the wheel.

To bad that Brasso contains a kind of solvent that re-acts with the rubber of the tumbler, so i have to wait for a new barrel.(always learning the things not to do :-()

However, at the end, it worked out, and it looks hopefull, if you see how it started, and see the results in step 4, it looks promising. i have to find the correct mixture to get them between step 4 and 5.
Another remarkable thing. the German projectiles are all plated steel. normal this plating is removed during most cleaning processes when they look as the ones in step 1, however now, only the dirt and corrosion was removed, so it's a gently way of cleaning too.

will do some more trials next week, when the new barrel is in, however without the Brasso!

 

[HAZORD]

If you had looked on reloading supply company websites, you would have found a number of methods, none of which use Brasso. I use a rock tumbler, Dawn dish washing soap, water, Lemmy shine, and small stainless steel pins, made for tumbling cases. Other people tumble in corncob media or walnut shells. 30 years ago I tumbled them in water, 409 cleaner, and dawn.

Once tumbled wash in water and let dry.

You can also use an ultrasonic cleaner and a solution for small batches.

 

[kahu1]

Preferably do not tumble live ammo.
Whatever you do, do not fire tumbled live ammunition.
The tumbling has the effect of powderising the grains and can cause excessive chamber pressures due to the different burn rates.
Cartridge tumblers with the steel pins are very effective for the uniform cleaning of brass.

 

[thekees]

Kahu, those were "waterfounds". The powder wasn't powder anymore, therefore they were able to get into the tumbler. absolute no moving parts inside the case. Hazord, I read all these forums and topics, but as you said, they are all about reloading issues etc. These poor waterboys needed another approach. the Brasso was a good idea, its a very srong brass cleaner, do not know if you have them in the states, but here it's a topper, however it didn't work out with the poor rubber quality of the barrel. Sometimes you have to go of the paved roaded to discover new methods. The next best is:

- first 3-4 hours with glass bead. the same powder as used with bead blasting.
mixed with some general soap to bind the powder.

- second the steel shot for another few hours.

The first step is to get all the corrosion of, the corncob, nutshells etc are too soft to remove the very hard dirt in the first stage.

 

[HAZORD]

The stainless steel pins and dawn should clean them. It costs about $50 for about a little less than a pint of pins.